Building New Social Contracts: An Overview of Participatory Mechanisms for Economic Governance

The document argues that current economic systems are failing and that large-scale economic reform requires broad public support, which can be generated through participatory mechanisms. It defines a 'social contract' as an agreement between state and society on rights, responsibilities, and resource distribution, suggesting that a new 'eco-social contract' is needed to prioritize the planet and people over profit. The briefing details various innovative mechanisms for citizen engagement—such as citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, and just transition processes—and identifies five key tools best suited for driving economic reform. It emphasizes the need to expand these mechanisms to the Global South and frontline communities to restore trust and create a 'social mandate' for a just and sustainable transition.

• The existing economic system is identified as the root cause of simultaneous crises in climate, biodiversity, inequality, and democracy, leading to a global breakdown of the social contract.
• Broad public support for rapid climate action and economic transformation depends on the use of participatory processes that prioritize human and planetary wellbeing over profit.
• A new social contract, potentially termed an 'eco-social', 'green', or 'natural' social contract, must shift the human-nature relationship toward reciprocity and partnership to address the ecological emergency.
• The document identifies five specific participatory mechanisms as the most effective conduits for amplifying the social mandate for a just and sustainable economy: citizen assemblies, participatory budgeting, just transition processes, citizen dialogues, and climate commissions/advisory councils.
• The 'social mandate' for change is described as a justification and permission structure for action, which can be a 'push mandate' (bottom-up demand from citizens, such as youth activists) or a 'pull mandate' (government-led efforts to create consensus during crises).
• To achieve transformative change, participatory mechanisms must be expanded beyond areas with existing civic space to include the Global South, climate-vulnerable regions, and frontline communities, such as informal workers and refugees.

APA

Mohamed, N. (2023). Building New Social Contracts: An Overview of Participatory Mechanisms for Economic Governance. Green Economy Coalition. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Building-new-social-contracts-mechanisms-paper-Najma-Mohamed-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Mohamed, Najma. Building New Social Contracts: An Overview of Participatory Mechanisms for Economic Governance. Green Economy Coalition, 2023. https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Building-new-social-contracts-mechanisms-paper-Najma-Mohamed-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mohamed |first1=Najma |title=Building New Social Contracts: An Overview of Participatory Mechanisms for Economic Governance |publisher=Green Economy Coalition |date=June 2023 |url=https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Building-new-social-contracts-mechanisms-paper-Najma-Mohamed-FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mohamed2023building, author = {Mohamed, Najma}, title = {{Building New Social Contracts: An Overview of Participatory Mechanisms for Economic Governance}}, institution = {Green Economy Coalition}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://www.greeneconomycoalition.org/assets/reports/GEC-Reports/Building-new-social-contracts-mechanisms-paper-Najma-Mohamed-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }